EMD SDP40F
The EMD SDP40F was a six-axle, 3000 hp diesel passenger locomotive produced by General Motors Electro-Motive division specifically for Amtrak. It is essentially an SD40 locomotive with a cowl body and a steam generator. History Upon the formation of Amtrak in 1971, it initially inherited a number of second hand first-generation passenger locomotives, with much of it in need of replacement. Two types of locomotives were immediately identified; first, a long-ranged diesel unit equipped with large fuel tanks and water reserves to be used on long-distance journeys. The second type was a smaller, lighter unit meant to working on shorter Corridor routes. Of the two, the first was considered a priority. EMD won the contract to build 150 units, designated SDP40F. The SDP40F was based on the proven SD40-2 locomotive. It shared the powertrain and the controls of one, but it also has a steam generator installed at the rear, for heating passenger trains. It was also built with an FP45 style cowl body. Finally, EMD used the new HT-C (High-Traction 3-Axle) truck in place of the older Flexicoil truck. It should be noted that unlike later locomotives built with the HT-C truck, the trucks on the SDP40F had hollow bolsters. The first unit was delivered in 1973, with the last unit arriving in 1974. The SDP40F was mechanically reliable, but it experienced a number of derailments, always on the trailing unit and always on shallow curves. The hollow bolsters of the truck was immediately suspected, forcing trains pulled by SDP40Fs to slow down in cuves substantially, throwing long-distance schedules out the window. Although later investigations traced the causes to the uneven weight distribution caused by the steam generators, added to a yawing effect that occured when a lightweight baggage car was coupled beind an SDP40F, the damage was done to the reputation of the SDP40F. For the second batch of F40PHs, 25 almost-new SDP40Fs were traded in and various parts reused. These locomotives were retired from Amtrak service by 1985. Santa Fe traded a number of locomotives to Amtrak in exchange for the SDP40Fs, on a horsepower-to-horsepower basis. Before Santa Fe started using them in service, they replaced the hollow bolsters on the trucks with standard bolsters. They also removed the steam generator equipment. The SDF40-2, as it was then called, remained in service until 2002, when they were finally retired and scrapped. One unit, former Amtrak 644, is preserved in Boulder City, Nevada. Bought by the Santa Fe and rebuilt to an SDF40-2 in 1984, it was renumbered to 5266, then became BNSF 6976 and retired in 2002. It then was acquired by a private group along with Amtrak F40PHR 231, which later became incorporated as Dynamic Rail Preservation. It is unknown what the group plans to restore the locomotive to, ethier to its Amtrak or Santa Fe appearance. Trivia *Three of the Amtrak Phase II painted SDP40F's were featured in "Superman (1978)". *The last SDP40Fs left the Amtrak roster in 1987, the remaining Amtrak SDP40F's that weren't sold to the ATSF (seen below) are presumed to have been scrapped. Gallery FP45 Demo.jpg|EMDX #268; a modified SDP40F. It was an AC traction test bed. ATSF SDP40F.jpg|A former Amtrak SDP40F; rebuilt by the Santa Fe known as an SDF40-2. Sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_SDP40F Category:Amtrak locomotives Category:Six-axled diesel locomotives Category:EMD locomotives Category:Passenger Locomotives Category:C-C Locomotives Category:Diesel Locomotives Category:American Locomotives Category:ATSF Locomotives Category:Co-Co Locomotives Category:Scrapped Locomotives